(Anita) CAM baseball has finished at least 12 games above .500 for five consecutive years. The Cougars once again look to be among the top teams in the area.
CAM coach Dan Daugherty says the key to success this season will be getting their newcomers up to speed. The Cougars have a handful of veterans with above average talent. “The middle of our lineup should be solid with Joe and Lane and Colby and Cade. Connor McKee is doing a good job leading off and then Ethan Follmann has been doing some catching and doing a good job. The rest of them are young freshmen and sophomores Seth Hensley, Jack Follmann, Brody Paulsen, and Sam Foreman. Those guys have been doing well. They are just going to keep improving.
The Iowa Baseball Coaches Association listed CAM among the teams receiving consideration in their preseason rankings for Class 1A. There’s no doubt the expectations are high and the pitching staff is a big reason why. Lane Spieker and Joe Kauffman combined for a shutout in their season opener against Woodbine. “That was a good one to come out with a win. Lane and Joe Kauffman pitched really well. I think we struck out 18 so that was good to see.”
At the plate with the likes of Lane Spieker, Joe Kauffman, Cade Ticknor, Colby Rich, and others they can hit for average and power. Coach Daugherty says it’s the biggest collection of power hitters he’s ever coached. “I think by far. In years past we might have had one or two guys that could hit the long ball, but I’d say this year we probably have four, maybe five.”
The Cougars are scheduled to face Coon Rapids-Bayard in a big Rolling Valley Conference showdown on Tuesday. The have a busy week with additional games lined up against Glidden-Ralston, Logan-Magnolia, Stanton, and Ar-We-Va.
